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Trey Anastasio Moves To Piano in Princeton

Last night Trey Anastasio performed a set of music with the Scorchio String Quartet in his boyhood home of Princeton, NJ. The single set show at Richardson Auditorium saw Anastasio on acoustic guitar for much of the night before moving to piano for versions of “Bar 17,” “Gone” and “Wolfman’s Brother.” He explained that the idea for his piano effort originated after he saw Neil Young do the same at the 1998 Bridge School Benefit. The string section participated throughout the night except of a version of “Strange Design,” in which Anastasio’s longtime Princeton pal Tom Marshall joined in on vocals (before the song Anastasio indicated that he wrote “Glide” just yards away from the theater). The encore opened with “Julia Don’t Lie,” a song from Hands on a Hard Body the musical he is currently writing with Amanda Green which is based on the 1997 documentary film of the same name and tracks the story of 24 contestants competing in an endurance/sleep deprivation contest in order to win a brand new Nissan Hardbody truck, in which the last person standing with his or her hand on the truck wins the vehicle.

Comments

There are 19 comments associated with this post

Alan March 12, 2012, 06:47:40

Chris, The guitar pyelar in pic #11 is Brent Sibley from Oneonta, AL. He puts on The Jam For Duane every October in Gadsden, AL. Pic #15 is Brent, Henry Hancock from VA on bass and John Howard from Aiken, SC. John is my road dawg and partner in crime at Wanee every year. Pic #16 is those three guys along with Tony Tyler, who we met at Wanee 2006. He’s a sweet and talented young man and I love him like a baby brother. He’s in the Bradenton, FL area now, but is from middle GA originally. We converged on Wanee every year from 2005 to 2008 and did these campfire jams unrehearsed. It got to be a festival within a festival. We’ve had some real killer musicians play over the years. Look for us jamming at Wanee 2011 near the horse stables.

Hillaree November 19, 2010, 13:11:07

Trey Anastasio only does things for himself. I have never seen a bigger self absorbed performer than perhaps the singer from Rascal Flatts. Bot really big bores! “He saw Neil Young go to he piano” (so Trey has to do it too.) I saw Neil Young switch from guitar to piano in 1970, so there!

so he’s not allowed to play piano just because neil young did it before him? he thought it was cool so why not give it a shot? It’s amazing that you clicked on this article about this “self absorbed performer” that you seem to hate so much, but still read it.

Gregor Kitzis November 19, 2010, 13:24:12

You’re an idiot. Your very first sentence about a man you’ve clearly never met and obviously know nothing about makes the rest of your comment thankfully meaningless. Come back in a few more years once you’ve actually lived.

anti-hillaree November 19, 2010, 14:12:31

That is possibly the most rediculous comment I have seen. Hilaree you are an official biatch. Comparing him to the rascal flatts guy? Give me a break. Id tell you grow up, but if you saw anything in 1970 that ship has long sailed for you. For anyone that finds themselves in your immediate circle of peers on a daily basis, I truely sympathise.

Cleeetusg November 19, 2010, 15:53:34

Geez, you guys are easy to troll. This Hillaree got ya good.
Trey’s writing another musical, huh? Can a “Glee” Phish episode be far behind?

G money November 19, 2010, 16:15:18

I think trey moving to piano is just. Even more proof that he is a true musical virtuouso he’s jerry Garcia on steroids. And I wish I was there last nite.

G money November 19, 2010, 16:19:21

Is that Hillary Clinton? Arhhh. Shutttt. Uppp.

OBJambands November 20, 2010, 02:39:57

So when Trey plays the drums is it because he saw Ringo behind the kit? Hilaree has no open mind

I Saw Hillaree November 20, 2010, 09:37:37

I saw Hillaree…she was at that Dave Matthews thing at the Microsoft store. She was listening to her zume player. Keep on rocking hilllaree.

rodrigo November 21, 2010, 19:58:25

u guys are all lame trey pole smokers, hillaree is a queen b and thata the rap jack!!

duh November 22, 2010, 16:44:18

This is not AT ALL the first time Trey has played a piano or keyboards..get a clue people…hes been doing it since Fall 95 Phish tour. What he menat by mentioning Neil Young, was that at intimate shows, its sometimes best to switch instruments to keep the attention deficit crowd into the show being it was mostly acousctic-classical in nature. Neil Young told him to do that on his 1999 Trey tour, b/c it was not all rock and roll. Thats the only reason he mentioned it in the first place, but Treys been playing keys for over 17 years now kids..get a clue.

ian November 23, 2010, 09:21:59

not sure what keys trey has played aside from walfredo or keyboard army, though he definitely composes on keys. not to refute all ya’ll, but if you listen to trey now (w/ phish 3.0), he has become a selfish player. he seems to never take a second off to let the music breathe which is ironic considering he has historically boasted about composing with ‘space’ in mind. with his dimished skill (its true…deal), i dont know if this is the best idea. he completely drowns out Page and is the reason you have Mike saying “if I had to choose one — Phish or solo — I don’t know what I would choose. In Phish, I’m not the principal songwriter or decision-maker. I really need an outlet to express myself more.”
let me be clear, i love phish, LOVE them, but in my opinion trey is the only thing holding phish back.

Tuck Goodefellow November 23, 2010, 13:45:50

Ouch, negativity! “Don’t let it bring you down…” – N.Young. What a cool musical idea and extension. I want to perform music like this with my high school band and musicians. Way to keep these doors open, Senior A.

mojo November 27, 2010, 13:37:27

Wolfman’s was never meant to be played like this….snooozer Trey’s head should be in the Thanksgiving parade…...its big enough…

Olivea Leuing December 15, 2010, 03:32:28

I haven’t quite figured out why the sexual urge of men and women differ so much. And I never really figured out the whole Venus and Mars thing. I have never figured out why men think with their head and women with their heart.

deBebbler December 29, 2010, 02:29:31

Just got the free download of this, and I am so far amazed at how clean Trey’s playing is.
Interesting song selection. Squirming Coil would have benefited from this treatment, as would have Esther.
But what is here is good stuff, and great banter/interplay too.
I’m not sure how big Trey’s head has gotten if he is willing to give away the soundboard mix instead of sell it.

links of london December 30, 2010, 21:28:42

he thought it was cool so why not give it a shot? It’s amazing that you clicked on this article about this “self absorbed performer” that you seem to hate so much, but still read it.